Much of the humor in TTAA comes from satirizing or parodying other
works of literature, art, or music. Okay, okay...it began with
comic books. However, busting on Superheroes night and day just
wasn't enough.

A TTAA issue is much like a movie: closings are essentially credits
using mostly fake, perverted names and titles, often with spoofed theme
music “playing”. Opening credits
appear in a few issues, too. Two of the openings busted on the most are
Doctor Who and Transformers: The Movie. However, the greatest
variety occurs in the middle of the story. Here, almost everything
that comes to mind is made fun of. That includes famous people such as Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker,
Jesse Jackson, Fidel Castro, and George Bush (Sr).

Comic Books

Here is a comprehensive list of all the important comics busted on,
in chronological order (please visit The Series List for a guide to
understanding issue numbers):

“Problem Child”

This is the comic book that started it all and was the most important
background for the entire series!. Features Dave and Jesse and the Teen Titans with Protector.

“The Computer Masters of Metropolis”

This comic is a good example of the addition of external storylines to the TTAA series.
The origin of the two characters Alec and Shanna is found in this comic. And,
if you have this ‘free’ comic, you'd know that they partner up with the
Superheroes (namely, Superman and Wonder Woman).

This comic completes the “Drug Awareness” trilogy published by
D.C. Comics. Ted Hart, Brian, Adam O'Conner, and Coral are featured this issue, also involving Protector and, in
particular, Kid Flash.

“Breaking Free”

The story revolves around Bruce Milhiser, and his cigarette-hating girlfriend Diane.
This introduces Bruce, Sheri, and Paul Milhiser, and Bruce's friend, later called “Nick O'Teene.”

Television and Film

This is another excellent source which
was used from the fifth issue up until the end of the TTAA Series. Satirized
TV shows were never an important part of any of the issues, but
they came pretty close in Tril-2 (a parody of Mission:
Impossible) and 3-7 (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Asses”). Movies came about
later on in the TTAA series. The movie busted on the most is
Star Trek II, even though it is one of Kent and Kirby's favorite movies! The list
below is a nearly comprehensive list of movies and television shows busted on:

A discussion of a ‘JFK Magic Bullet Theory’ in
“Home, Sweet Home”.

2001: A Space Odyssey

2010

The $25,000 Pyramid

ABC Weekend Special

Aliens (movie)

Back to the Future

Batman

Batman Returns

Beavis and Butthead

Body Parts (movie)

James Bond

Diamonds Are Forever

The Living Daylights

Moonraker

Octopussy

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Thunderball

Tomorrow Never Dies

A View to a Kill

Care Bears

Carrie

Cocktail (movie)

D.C. Follies

Dick Tracy (movie)

Doctor Who

Double Dare (game show)

Dungeons and Dragons (cartoon)

Family Feud

Finders Keepers (game show)

The Fugitive (movie)

Ghostbusters (movie)

The Incredible Hulk (TV)

Indiana Jones

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

JFK (movie)

Knight Rider

The Langoliers (TV mini)

The Last Starfighter

Looney Tunes

MacGyver

Miami Vice

Misery (movie)

Mission: Impossible (TV)

Now You See It (game show)

The People's Court

Predator

Press Your Luck (game show)

The Prisoner (TV)

Psycho

The PTL Club

Rocky IV

Sally (talk show)

The Smurfs

Star Trek

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Star Wars

Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope

Star Wars Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi

The Superfriends

Super Password (game show)

Superman III

Teen Wolf (TV)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (cartoon)

The Terminator

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Titanic

Transformers

Transformers: The Movie

Tron

Weird Science (movie)

Consumer Items and Books

Well-known consumer products are used sporadically throughout TTAA for a “one-time bust” and are rarely used again. Basically, they are used to spice up a scene. This list is not exhaustive:

The Folger's coffee jingle is spoofed in “S.E. in Hell”.

And Then There Were None (Christie)

Arthur Treacher's (restaurant)

Axis and Allies (board game)

Blood (computer game)

California Raisins

Charmin

Chessmaster 3000 (computer game)

Coca-Cola

“The Creation” (Michelangelo)

The Divine Comedy (Dante)

Dixie (paperware)

Doom (computer game)

Faber-Castell

Folgers

Hickory Farms

Impossible Mission (computer game)

Jif (peanut butter)

Lucky Charms

Master of Orion (computer game)

Mattel

Psi-5 Trading Co. (computer game)

Ryder

Serf City (computer game)

System Shock 2 (computer game)

Teddy Ruxpin

Time (magazine)

Toys 'R' Us

TRS-80 (Radio Shack)

Underoos

United Parcel Service

Musical Lyrics

Music (mainly but not always with lyrics) are often incorporated in the series, particularly in the second TTAA work (1-3). Because they could not be adequately transcribed to paper, and because they weakened the story substantially, they were relegated only towards the opening and closing credits for later
issues and rarely brought into the main story. An example of a music bust is SHC Bites. Take a look!

Below is a list of songs with lyrics that were spoofed. Those without vocals were
mixed into the Television and Film section:

Ritchie Valens plays in the background while Dave and Jesse dodge superheroes in
“Their Revenge”.

At An All Time High (Coolidge, theme from Octopussy)

But the Cat Came Back (traditional)

Cannonball Run (theme)

Christmas at Ground Zero (Weird Al Yankovic)

Come On, Let's Go (Valens)

Dancing Into the Fire (Duran Duran, from A View to a Kill)

Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown? (Nina, O.H.M.S.S.)

An Earache, My Eye (Cheech and Chong)

Heard it Through the Grapevine

Hurry Up! [Or I'll Get Another Date] (Sheely)

Let the Good Times Roll (from Dick Tracy)

Moonraker (Bassey)

The Living Daylights (a-ha)

Stay Beside Me (Olofson and Ellenhorn)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (80's cartoon theme)

This Song (Barry and the Bookbinders)

Together Again (from Here Comes Garfield)

Transformers: The Movie (main theme)

Superheroes and Villains

This set is distinguished from Comics, because these characters are not found in any of the ones listed above. The superheroes have different (read: stupid) personalities than
what you see in the comic books. Here are all the Superheroes
and Supervillains drawn into TTAA. Please look at the
Characters Page for details on some of the Superheroes:

Robin is pissed about Protector's cruddy leadership skills in “S.E. in Hell”.